


California King

by Welfycat



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Episode Tag, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-08
Updated: 2011-10-08
Packaged: 2017-10-24 10:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/262198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Welfycat/pseuds/Welfycat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After dinner, Dave tries to fix the rifts in his team. Episode tag to s07e02 Proof.</p>
            </blockquote>





	California King

**Author's Note:**

> Content Notes: None.  
> Author Notes: Spoilers through Season 7 Episode 2.

Dave Rossi watched as the team milled around in his dining room. They'd all just finished dessert; a very delicious creme brulee which Dave had baked earlier in the evening to ensure edibility. The clean up was mostly finished, wine glasses were almost empty and Dave thought he'd learned a couple of things about his team tonight.

First, that Reid was surprisingly capable in the kitchen despite the fact that in the years Dave had known him he'd rarely seen Reid eat more than whatever he could find in the bureau vending machines or at the local restaurants while they were out on a case. Second: JJ approached the stove like she would an unstable unsub, her stance set and her expression determined, and when Dave had stepped in to keep her from burning the vegetables she'd whispered that Will did most of the cooking.

And, the most important thing that Dave realized was that even though the rifts in the team seemed healed on the surface, there were still deep fissures in the way they functioned. There were hesitations, uncertainty in gazes, and so many things that were left unspoken in words but that they couldn't help glimpse in body language. They were profilers, that's what they did and they couldn't turn it off just because they didn't want to see. Emily still held herself separate, even as she laughed and played with Garcia and JJ. Reid watched all of them warily, the lightening quick speech he'd been using a defense during the last case given way to a watchful silence under the guise of companionability. Morgan checked that Emily was still there every few minutes, like he still couldn't believe she was alive, and even though Aaron stood a little easier these days, he seemed more distant than ever.

Dave had invited the team to dinner for a dual purpose; to remind them that they were a family no matter what had happened in the past and what might happen in the future, and to assess what steps he should take next. It probably should have fallen to Aaron as the Unit Chief, but Dave felt as the highest functioning member of the team emotionally - and wasn't that saying something - that the task should fall to him. He finished loading the dishwasher and turned back to the dining room table, where Hotch was recounting some adventure he'd had in Pakistan, even though Aaron would never frame his work as an adventure.

Looking over the table, at Emily restlessly running her thumb over the edge of her torn fingernails, JJ's bowed head, Reid's unfocused eyes, and Morgan's shoulders twisted away from Hotch even though he was looking at him, Dave decided to go through with the rest of his plan. The only way it could possibly make things worse was to have everyone, Aaron in particular, angry at him, though that might be preferable to the current mess of fractured relationships.

"Now that we've finished dinner, if everyone will follow me," Dave said, turning with the knowledge that the rest would follow him at the invitation. Sure enough, footsteps joined him in the hallway as he led the way towards the main staircase.

"Are we getting the grand tour of your mansion, Rossi?" Morgan asked curiously over the chatter of JJ, Garcia and Emily as they talked about his color palate.

Deciding to not tell them that an interior designer was responsible for the majority of his house, Dave started up the staircase. "Maybe later."

They had only made it partway down the main hallway on the second level when Aaron fell into step beside him. Dave raised his eyebrows in a direct challenge, and wasn't surprised when Aaron's eyes narrowed in return.

"Dave," Aaron said quietly, his voice covered by Reid's running commentary on an oil painting that was hanging in the stairwell.

"Have I ever steered you wrong, Aaron?" Dave asked. When Aaron just raised his left eyebrow, Dave sighed. "Have I ever done something to endanger the team?"

Aaron shook his head immediately. The team was the top priority for both of them and the trust that they held with each other on that was rock solid.

"Then just follow my lead. They all look to you," Dave said. He looked back to make sure he hadn't lost anyone on the way up, and found the team gathered behind him with expressions ranging from curiosity to guarded concern. He caught each of their gazes, requesting and receiving confirmation that they did trust him, enough to follow him into the unknown at least.

Dave opened the door and turned on the light in his bedroom; his very luxurious bedroom with a California King sized bed in which he could sprawl out with more than enough room to spare, which he didn't get to spend nearly as many nights in as he would like. Hotel beds just couldn't even begin to compare and his back reminded him that he wasn't quite the spry young federal agent racing around the country anymore.

"Do you have a big enough bed?" Emily asked, smirking mischievously when she glanced at Dave as she walked inside.

"We'll find out," Dave replied, sitting in his armchair by the window as he took off his shoes. After Dave glanced significantly at Aaron, he kicked off his own shoes as well - a pairing of jogging shoes that went much better with the jeans than Aaron's standard work shoes ever would.

Morgan looked around the room twice, to Dave, then to Aaron, and back to Dave again. "What exactly are you thinking is going to happen here?"

Dave looked around the room, the self-imposed isolations and divisions even more visible now that they were in an unexplored situation. "We are going to fix this. We're a team, a family, and it's past time we start acting like it again. It's been a long six months, and that's not something we can fix overnight, but we can make a start."

"I'm not sure group therapy is the answer," Reid mumbled, his head ducking down.

"Does this look like a therapy session?" Dave asked. When there was no response, Dave used the dimmer switch to lower the lights to a more comfortable setting and motioned toward the bed. "Shoes off, on the bed, and everyone keep your hands and knees to yourself."

When nobody moved, Dave looked at Aaron, who was watching him with a studied look of disbelief, usually the one he wore when Dave had been telling tales of his glory days, but he made his way around the bed and sat down on the edge.

Aaron's acquiescence, no matter how obviously reluctant, was all it took for Garcia to shed her teal pumps and bound over to the bed, one hand pulling Emily along behind her. They both crawled up onto the bed, Garcia tumbling back into the mass of pillows with a happy sigh and Emily laughing as she slipped out of her shoes and flopped down next to her. JJ followed suit, bending down briefly to unstrap her shoes before padding over barefoot to the bed. She looked at Dave, her expression conveying her willingness to try anything that would bring the team back together, even if she thought Dave's idea was unusual at the very least.

"Well?" Dave asked as he got up from his chair and made his way over to the bed. He was offering Reid and Morgan a choice, as they were the only two left standing and watching the proceedings. It was the same choice that had been there for the past few days; they could continue to hold themselves separate, afraid of being hurt again, or they could risk emotionally rejoining the team. Dave knew that it was a difficult choice to make, it had taken Dave himself more than a few months to get used to the idea of what being on the team meant, but now he took that more seriously than anything.

"Come on, pretty boy. You know we'll never hear the end of it," Morgan said as he turned to Reid.

Reid looked down, his hunched shoulders and tense muscles in his hands giving away how much he was struggling. After a moment he used his feet to pull off his shoes, revealing one pink sock with a unicorn and one yellow sock with Halloween bats on it.

Morgan looked down, smiling when he saw Reid's footwear, and tugged off his own athletic shoes. They both came over to the bed, Reid climbing in over by JJ and Aaron, and Morgan insinuating himself between Garcia and Emily.

Dave made himself comfortable on his edge of the bed, listening as everyone shuffled around to try and find a position where they weren't poking anyone with their knees and elbows.

"Now what?" Reid asked from somewhere on the other half of the bed, sounding a little muffled.

"Now we relax and get comfortable, and just be," Dave replied, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

There was a cough from somewhere in the mass of people, and some good natured grumbling as people resettled. "When did you go all new age on us?" Garcia asked, her head popping up to stare at Dave.

To the surprise of everyone, including Dave, Aaron's low chuckle sounded from the other end of the bed.

Dave closed his eyes again, listening as his team shifted around, the bed occasionally dipping as positions were exchanged and people claimed and stole pillows from each other. His bed was big, but not quite big enough for seven full grown adults to spread out comfortably. That was part of the point though. They had been separated, and even those who had remained on the team full time had withdrawn. They had to get used to be in each other's space again, both physically and mentally. It wasn't just for the good of the team, Dave justified to himself, it would help them in the field as well. They had to be able to trust each other, and even though the basis for the trust was still there, the bone deep belief in it had been severely shaken.

After a while, Dave opened his eyes again and discovered that everyone had settled in and eyes were drooping where they weren't already closed. It had been a long case, and before that, a long couple of months. Everyone was exhausted, and a filling meal accompanied by wine in the evening had only served to settle everyone into a quiet sleepiness. He met Aaron's eyes over the mass of bodies, Aaron nodding slightly to indicate his approval of Dave's intention, if maybe not his tactics. Dave just smiled smugly, because he had been absolutely right.

He let everyone doze for a while longer before slipping from the bed and gently shaking Garcia, who had somehow wound up next to him. She looked at him sleepily, and he quietly directed her to the bathroom where she could change into a long shirt that would make far more comfortable sleepwear than her current outfit. When she returned, Dave continued down the line, smiling when Aaron disappeared to the bathroom down the hall and came back in his tee-shirt and boxers.

"Jack was already staying with Jessica tonight," Aaron said quietly, as he roused Reid and sent him sleepily toward the hallway.

"Let me guess, Will already knew I'd be staying here tonight?" JJ asked quietly as she slipped from the bed, the movement of the bodies surrounding her pulling her from sleep.

Dave just smiled and nodded.

"You are a sneaky man, Rossi," she said, not quite threateningly as she walked into the master bath.

Dave and Aaron exchanged glances, and Dave couldn't help the smile that formed in response to Aaron's. It had been part of his plan to get them all too sleepy and complacent to protest, but he hadn't quite imagined it would work so well. He half thought that it was because the rest of the team wanted reconciliation just as badly as he did, but he decided that it was mostly due to his masterful planning.

Reid returned, all long limbs and still wearing his socks with his shirt and boxers. He looked at Dave and Aaron blearily, the dim light and not wearing his contacts or glasses giving him the appearance of someone who was a little bit lost. After some consideration, Reid climbed back into the bed, sprawling next to Emily who had already changed.

Dave nodded, waiting until everyone had returned and resettled before slipping away to change into his own pajamas. When he returned, he found everyone already settled, and he left the light on in the bathroom and the door partway open before turning off the main light in the bedroom all together. When he climbed back in on his side, he found JJ blinking at him before smiling and leaning forward to give him a brief hug. He patted her on the shoulder and smiled to himself as she twisted around so that she was resting her head on Emily's shoulder.

It wasn't the most restful night Dave ever had, but there was a certain level of comfort in having everyone within sight and within reach. They were all safe, something that he couldn't have said before that night even after Emily and everyone else had returned for good. Dave's eyes opened regularly, sometimes just watching his team sleep, sometimes watching Aaron watch the rest of the team, and sometimes woken by movement as people switched places or turned over. Once, when he woke, he found JJ and Reid holding onto each other, both crying quietly and apologizing. Another time he found Morgan clinging to Emily, and Emily resting her head on Morgan's shoulder.

When light started to filter in through Dave's blinds, Dave opened his eyes and looked out over his team. Hotch guarded the other end of the bed, his expression lax and content in sleep. JJ was on her back next to Hotch, her knees hooked over Hotch's legs, and her hair mingling with Reid's as their heads were on the same pillow. Reid and Morgan's backs were pressed against each other, and when Reid gave a small jolt in his sleep, Morgan reached back and placed his hand on Reid's hip without truly waking. Emily was curled up against Morgan's front, her legs tangled with Garcia's. Garcia had one of her hands stretched out onto Dave's pillow, and Dave set his hand over it.

He knew everything was still a long way from fixed, they still had their issues to work through and there would probably be plenty more sulking and shouting and hurt feelings, but they were a step closer than they had been on the plane back to Quantico the previous afternoon.

"Is there coffee?" Reid asked, twisting back slightly and lightly bumping heads with Morgan.

"Gourmet coffee. Later. Go back to sleep," Dave instructed. He settled back on his pillow, content to listen to the sounds of his team slowly waking in the morning light.


End file.
